Storing Your Things to Make Your Life Shine

“Part 4” of TLCMOTU by Marie Kondo: “Storing Your Things to Make Your Life Shine”

I hope you enjoy this post and pick up this book on your happy and healthy adventure. 🙂 ❤

“The point in deciding specific places to keep things is to designate a spot for every thing” (131).

“The amount of storage space you have in your room is actually just right” (133).

“The real problem is that we have far more than we need or want. Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left only with the amount that fits perfectly in the space you currently own” (133).

“…storage methods should be as simple as possible” (137).

“The secret to maintaining an uncluttered room is to pursue ultimate simplicity in storage so that you can tell at a glance how much you have” (137).

“I have only two rules: store all items of the same type in the same place and don’t scatter storage space” (138).

“In other words, storage should be focused in one spot. If storage places are spread around, the entire house will become cluttered in no time” (139).

“Having your own space makes you happy. Once you feel that it belongs to your personally, you want to keep it tidy” (140).

“Everyone needs a sanctuary” (140).

“Just as with choosing which belongings to keep, following the right order is crucial” (140).

“A common mistake many people make is to decide where to store things on the basis of where it’s easiest to take them out” (141).

“Clutter is caused by a failure to return things to where they belong. Therefore, storage should reduce the effort needed to put things away, not the effort needed to get them out” (142).

“Clutter has only two possible causes: too much effort is required to put things away or it is unclear where things belong” (142).

“If you are aiming for an uncluttered room, it is much more important to arrange your storage so that you can tell at a glance where everything is than to worry about the details of who does what, where, and when” (143).

“When you are choosing what to keep, ask you heart; when you are choosing where to store something, ask you house” (144).

“In contrast, when things are stored vertically, any increase takes up space and you will eventually run out of storage area” (145).

“The other reason is this: stacking is very hard on the things at the bottom” (145).

“Basically, the only storage items you need are plain old drawers and boxes–you don’t need anything special or fancy” (147).

“Shoeboxes have infinite uses” (147).

“Basically, any square box or container of the right size will do” (149).

“Never hang on to them in the belief that you might use them someday” (149).

“When my clients use what they already have in the house like this, they always find that they have exactly what they need to store their things” (149).

“Rather than buying something to make do for the now, wait until you have completed the entire process and then take your time looking for storage items that you really like” (150).

“To summarize, the best way to store purses, handbags, and other bags is to make sets according to the material, size, and frequency of use and to store them one inside the other, like nested boxes” (152).

“If you do not make a habit of unpacking you bag, you are also quite likely to leave something inside when you decide to use another bag, and before you know it, you will have forgotten what you have in each one” (153).

“So, empty your bag every day. This is not as bothersome as it sounds. You just need to make a place for the things inside it” (154).

“It is far more efficient to move all your storage units into your closet” (156).

“There is no need to keep soaps and shampoos out when we are not using them, and the added exposure to heat and moisture when they aren’t in use is bound to affect their quality. It is therefore my policy to keep everything out of the bath or shower” (158).

“Your room at least should be the one place where you can pursue and enjoy your interests to your heart’s content” (162).

“Instead, buy only what you need, remove all items from their packages immediately, and put them away” (164).

“By eliminating excess visual information that doesn’t inspire joy, you can make your space much more peaceful and comfortable” (168).

“Express your appreciation to every item that supported you during the day” (169).

“This suggests that caring for your possessions is the best way to motivate them to support you, their owner” (172).